The secretary general of the CGT was the guest of “8:30 am franceinfo”, Friday May 12, 2023.
Sophie Binet, secretary general of the CGT, was the guest of “8:30 am franceinfo”, Friday May 12, 2023. Reindustrialization, unions in Matignon, vote of June 8 in the National Assembly … She answers questions from Lorrain Sénéchal and Neila Latrous.
Reindustrialisation: “We must harmonize social and environmental standards at European level from above”
Sophie Binet says to herself “worry” vis-à-vis Emmanuel Macron’s strategy to reindustrialise the country, while the Head of State is expected this Friday afternoon in Dunkirk to unveil the upcoming establishment of a Taiwanese battery factory (a project which represents 5 billion euros of investment and which promises 3,000 direct jobs as a result). “The first element that worries us is the announcement by the President to say that we must postpone environmental standards at European level when it is quite the opposite that must be done to reindustrialize the country”. A statement that echoes that of Emmanuel Macron, Thursday, on the fact of “regulatory break” in terms of environmental standards. For the Secretary General, the opposite should be done: “We must harmonize social and environmental standards at European level from above”.
Sophie Binet also believes that it would be necessary “more” of standards as well as a “protection of European borders to tax products that are not produced with these same standards”. In addition, the general secretary of the CGT denounces “new gifts” made to companies by the Head of State “without consideration”, in reference to the new tax credit announced Thursday by the president. For the trade unionist, this aid must be conditional, in particular “allowing staff representatives to have a suspensive right on public aid and making them conditional on the assent of staff representatives”. Finally, on the subject of car conversion, she does not hide her concern: “French employers announce that in two years there will be 55,000 job cuts in the automotive industry”. According to her, Emmanuel Macron does not fight against that. “What do we do with the thermal industrial sectors?”she asks when these engines will be banned from sale for new cars in 2035.
Appointment at Matignon: “We must withdraw the pension reform, this would finally make it possible to talk about the real subjects”
Elisabeth Borne receives the unions on May 16 and 17 in Matignon to try to renew the dialogue after the promulgation of the highly contested pension reform. Five unions are expected for bilateral talks, including the CGT, on May 17 at 5 p.m. During this meeting, Sophie Binet announces it, she intends to repeat to the Prime Minister that the pension reform must be withdrawn: “We go there first for that and then to tell him that it would finally allow us to talk about the real subjects, in particular wages so that they are indexed to prices, or even working conditions”.
Liot bill to repeal the pension reform: “MPs will have the opportunity to express themselves” and must “allow a way out of the crisis from above”
Asked about the Liot group’s bill to repeal the pension reform, which will be examined in the Assembly on June 8, Sophie Binet replies that “MPs will finally have the opportunity to express themselves” on the subject and that, therefore, “they must make it heard that they understood what was happening in the country and that they allow a way out of the crisis from above”. For the trade unionist, “if this bill were passed on June 8”it would not be a symbolic vote but “a bolt from the blue”. “That means that the reform could not apply on September 1st.she continues. If this is the case, we would call on the government to learn the lessons of the vote of the National Assembly and to immediately suspend the application of the reform”because according to her, “it would be irresponsible to maintain this calendar at a forced march”. On the other hand, if the text is rejected, it does not sound the end of the mobilization for her: “We have said it from the start, this reform must be withdrawn or there will be no return to normal, whatever happens on June 8, this position will remain”.
Far-right demonstration in Paris: “There is a form of short-scale on the far right which is organized by the government and it is serious”
Regarding the fact that the Minister of the Interior has announced his wish to ban all ultra-right demonstrations in France, after the one that caused controversy last Saturday in Paris, Sophie Binet replies: “The problem is that he did not do it before and that he authorized this scandalous demonstration with hooded people parading in the middle of Paris in a threatening way”. Sophie Binet also talks about “union repression” on the ground and adds that unlike the government, “we don’t put the far right back to back with anyone”. According to her, “It is very serious what the government has done since 2022, to put the far right and the far left back to back”. For what ? Because, according to her, “it contributes to the trivialization of the far right”. And Sophie Binet concludes: “There is a form of short-scale on the far right which is organized by the government and it is serious”.
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Find the entire “8:30 franceinfo” of Friday, May 12, 2023: